Much of what is known about the southern seas in recent times comes from the logs of captains unlucky enough to have been blown off course. Few norhterners travel these waters willingly. Yet, this was not always the case. Centuries ago, the rulers of the Kingdom of Keoland, north of Sasserine, were known as the Explorer-Kings. Following their victory over the Necromancers of Toli, they often competed with the Overkings of the Great Kingdom for dominance of the Sea of Yar (now known as the Azure Sea). The Explorer-Kings were notorious for their wanderlust and they sponsored numerous expeditions to the far south. Many of the kings even led the voyages in person. It is from their travels that the people of the Flanaess have developed a general picture of the nature of the region, even if it is sometimes based more on legend than fact.
Olman Empire
Before the Great Migrations that created the nations of the
north, the Densac Gulf - bounded by the Amedio Jungle in the west and the
continent known as Hepmonaland in the east - was home to a far-flung collection
of prosperous city-states known as the Olman Empire. The Olman was a tribal
race with reddish-brown skin and straight black hair and eyes. Although considered
primitive by the standards of the northern kingdoms, the Olman Empire was one
of great complexity, wealth, and artistry. Yet with all of its sophistication
the Olman worshiped savage and unyielding gods.
At their civilization's height more than a millennium ago,
the Olman spanned the whole South and the vast inland chains in between. Their
culture endured for centuries, but the empire eventually collapsed after
decades of enervating civil war, religious strife, foreign invasion, and in
some cases supernatural tumult. The ruins of their cities, such as Tamoachan on
the eastern peninsula of the Amedio Jungle, and other evidence of their culture
remain spread across the region. The majority of the Olman reverted to the
relatively primitive societies that have survived to today. They are a
superstitious and highly insular folk who regard strangers with a combination
of wonder, fear, and hostility. For those keen enough to find them, however,
there remain pockets of higher civilization that still evoke their one-time
greatness.
The dominant human population of the Densac Gulf remains the
Olman, but between 950 and 1,050 years ago, Suel survivors of the Great War
between the Suel and Baklunish Empires invaded the region in large numbers.
Many of these bands of desperate refugees crossed the Hellfurnaces and entered
the Amedio Jungle. Others traversed the lofty Crystalmists and the Sheldomar
Valley to cross the waters as far as the archipelagos of the Pearl Sea. Unlike
their brethren, who migrated to the north and built new prosperous civilized
nations, these Suel fought and competed with the native Olman peoples for
scarce resources and land. Many of the invaders devolved into savagery, and in
some cases they merged with Olman natives to produce a hybrid culture known as
the Amedi. Others strived to remain racially pure and turned to piracy and
slavery, often raiding Olman coastal villages and other Suel settlements.
This remained the status quo until a new phase
of Suel invasions began a few decades ago, this time coming from the northeast.
The Tilvanot Peninsula north of the Densac Gulf was conquered and settled
centuries ago by a quasi-religious order of Suel monks known as the Scarlet
Brotherhood. The Brotherhood's dogma was steeped in racism and bent on world
domination. The monks remained a secret in their homeland until embarking on a
new phase of exploration and conquest. They constructed fleets of ships and
began exploring the Densac Gulf in an orderly and ruthless fashion. They were
the first Northerners to do so regularly in centuries, inaugurating the Age of
Exploration in the Flanaess. The Scarlet Brotherhood now plunders the south for
its resources and kidnaps the natives - Olman and Suel alike - with some
regularity, taking them north to sell into slavery and work their lands. Today,
the Scarlet Brotherhood fleet remains the single most powerful navy in the
region and they actively prevent any other powers, including the nobles of
Sasserine, from meddling in its domain. The brotherhood's menacing ships,
flying the Scarlet Sign, can be spotted in most ports throughout the region.
Vohoun
is the name given to the Pearl Sea by the Suel settlers of the region. It means
"frothy" in their ancient tongue. This is probably due to the swirling
fogs that seem to characterize these waters. The Vohoun Sea actually touches
many shores, including those of the Isle of Dread, thereby linking many lands
and cultures. As if enough dangers (such as the Crimson Fleet) don't ply its
surface, the Vohoun is also known for the many cultures that exist under its
waves, including numerous sea monsters such as kraken and sea serpents. Reports
include enclaves of merfolk and sea elves, in addition to sahuagin and
ixitxachitl.
While
not strictly in the path of the journey south, this large chain of isles east
of the Amedio Jungle can’t help but be a threat. The fanatical raiders who call
these islands home can be found roving all over the Densac Gulf and Pearl Sea.
Their isles encompass a series of rapacious civilizations that the early
Explorer-Kings generously dubbed the “Pirate Isles”. Piracy, however, is only
the beginning of the vices found here. Degenerate descendants of Suel invaders,
Olman natives, and a few more exotic races call these lands home. Rumors abound
of debauched ports containing enslaved populations, vile cults, dark magic, and
much worse. Fiend worshiping is almost a certainty. Little to nothing is known
about their leaders or their ultimate goals (if any), but the dread and dismay
they create in the region is palpable. Of all the pirate gangs, none is more
feared than the Crimson Fleet, who sail from the hidden port of Scuttlecove.
This collection of seven islands evokes wonder, even in the
locals. Its name derives from the persistent fogs that seem to shroud the
isles, making them almost invisible until one is right on top of them. The
collection of isles was once home to a handful of small realms established by
the Olman more than a millennium ago. Their societies languished and their
people vanished, possibly moving to the mainland, following the unravelling of
their empire.
Leaving the relative safety of the port of Sasserine in the
Azure Sea to mount an expedition to the Isle of Dread at the urging of Lavinia
will not be easy. The Isle of Dread is located far to the south in unfriendly
equatorial waters where severe tropical storms and numerous unnatural dangers
loom. Two vast seas, known as the Densac Gulf and the Pearl Sea, are among the
least known waters to the residents of the Flanaess. By reputation, the region
is more magical, feral, and unforgiving than the main continent. Friendly ports
of call and potential allies are almost non-existent.
Fortunately, you are not going into the daunting journey
completely blind. Lavinia has the charts her parents used to navigate to the
isle several years ago to establish the colony of Farshore. The arduous journey
involves skirting the coast of the vast Amedio Jungle from Sasserine to the
ruins of the Olman city of Tamoachan and then following the coast southward
until the expedition reaches the fourth of the great rivers before veering
south. Along the way, the expedition plans on visiting the friendly village of
Renkrue on the easternmost of the isles of Axuxal. Halfway to the Isle of
Dread, the mysterious isle of Ruja serves as one last landmark. There the open
water of the Pearl Sea (referred to as the Vohoun Ocean by the local pirates)
beckons. The course continues due south and for many hundreds of leagues. The
Sea Wyvern must then cross a vast stretch of empty sea whose stillness bellies
its menace. If you can survive the long journey with the vessel intact, the shores
of the Isle of Dread beckon.
Blessed of Osprem
[Regional]
You possess amazing swimming skills.
Prerequisites: Endurance,
5 ranks in Swim, sailor of the Vohoun Sea.
Benefit: You can
always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered.
Additionally, you gain a +2 competence bonus on Swim checks made to resist
nonlethal damage and to hold your breath. These bonuses stack with those
granted by the Endurance feat.
Last Survivor
[Regional]
Faced with death in the wilds of the Amedio Jungle with no
one to depend on but yourself, you have honed your survival instincts to a
razor’s edge.
Prerequisites: 5
rank in Survival, sole survivor of a deadly encounter in the Amedio Jungle.
Benefit: While in
jungle or forest environments you gain a +2 circumstance bonus on Hide, Listen,
and Spot checks made against predators and natural hazards.
Stowaway [Regional]
You are an expert at stealth while aboard sailing ships.
Prerequisites: 5
ranks in Hide, 5 ranks in Move Silently, 1 rank in Profession (sailor), native
to the Jeklea Bay or Azure Sea regions.
Benefit: You gain
a +2 circumstance bonus on Disguise, Hide, and Move Silently checks on large
sailing ships.
Vohoun Eye [Regional]
Your exposure to the dark side of magic and the occult has
made you sensitive to the telltale signs of spellcasting and wary of their
results.
Prerequisites: 5
ranks in Sense Motive, lived among the debased civilizations of the Pirate
Isles.
Benefit:
When you see someone casting a spell (not a
spell-like ability) you may make a Sense Motive check (DC 20 + level of spell)
as a free action. If successful, you know what kind of magic is being used and
gain a +2 circumstance bonus on your saving throw if it is directed at you or
you are in its area of effect.
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